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Wolves struggle against N-C Stars

Ely still looking for its first score after back-to-back shutouts

Hold? What hold? An unidentified Ely player grabs a little jersey as he tries to hold off a North Central defender giving chase to Ely’s Dalton Schreffler.

K. Vandervort

Posted
Wednesday, September 11, 2019 5:45 pm

Ninth-grader Jason Kerntz helps wrap up the Stars’ Matt Kennedy.

K. Vandervort

Keith Vandervort

ELY – An overpowering and aggressive North Central football team crushed the Timberwolves 54-0 last Friday night at Memorial Stadium, to leave Ely at 0-2 on the season.

Short-handed again, Ely suited up just 14 players last week, and faced a newly-combined team of Littlefork/Big Falls and Kelliher/Northome schools. “We definitely had our hands full with this combined team,” said Ely Head Coach Cory Lassi.

The Stars did most of their scoring in the first half. At 10:03 in the first quarter, North Central senior running back Matt Kennedy galloped from 40 yards out to put the first six on the board. A two-point conversion put Ely down 8-0.

After a three-and-out series for Ely, North Central scored again at 6:14 in the first quarter on a 25-yard run by Kennedy. They took a 16-0 lead on a pass completion on the conversion effort.

North Central closed out the first quarter with another six, this time on a seven-yard rush by Jacob Pendergast. The two-point conversion increased their lead to 24-0.

Two long scoring drives in the second quarter, the first capped by a 40-yard run by junior quarterback Jack Gilbert, plus the two-point conversion left the Stars up 32-0. Gilbert scored again on a 20-yard keeper at 2:35, leaving the Stars up 40-0 after the conversion.

Ely put together a promising drive late in the half, but a North Central interception gave the Stars the ball with just seconds remaining. Gilbert connected for yet another touchdown as time ran out in the half, leaving North Central up 48-0.

In the second half, playing with running time, and with just under three minutes to go in the game, Stars tight end Cam McRoberts ripped off an 80-yard run to increase the Stars’ lead to 54-0.

Ely’s Mason Davis took a helmet to the ribs on the play and the serious injury prompted game officials to end the game early.

The Timberwolves’ Schreffler had 95 yards rushing on 19 carries in the game. “Our offense is focused around him and he had some nice carries for us,” Lassi said. Schreffler also had 14 tackles and a fumble recovery on defense.

Freshman Jason Kerntz had 17 tackles in the game. “That was good to see for the young and inexperienced player,” he said.

Lassi admitted that the team didn’t play as disciplined this week. “We shot ourselves in the foot with three false starts. It’s hard to beat another team and ourselves at the same time.”

Ely continues to face the toughest part of their schedule Friday night when they host South Ridge who consistently finishes near the top of their section.

“We will have five more players suit up this week, and I keep pushing for the guys to stay positive and keep motivated and to work on getting better every week.” Lassi said.